Just You & Me
by StarrPurdy
Summary: A fanfic with Black Veil Brides, Asking Alexandria, VersaEmerge, Paramore and Alex Evans. :D
1. Character List

CHARACTERS!

By the way! All the ages are changed so they would fit in the story, so if they aren't correct, that's why.

Ashley Purdy  
Age: 17

Starr Coma  
Age: 17

Sierra Kusterbeck  
Age: 16

Christian Coma  
Age: 17

Jake Pitts  
Age: 18

Andy Biersack  
Age: 17

Jinxx  
Age: 18

Ben Bruce  
Age: 18

Hayley Williams  
Age: 17

Alex Evans  
Age: 18


	2. Chapter 1

_Starr's P.O.V.  
_

*alarm clock goes off*

"Ugh! Shut the fuck up!" I growled at my clock. As I went to hit the snooze button, I fell out of my bed. "Well, I guess I'm up..." I thought to myself. I stood up, and walked over to my closet. I cautiously opened the door. Naturally, all of my clothes fell out. I grabbed a pair of black skinnies off the top of the pile and grabbed my favorite Blood On The Dance Floor tee and went into the bathroom to change. After I was dressed, I teased my hair and put on my makeup (eyeliner and mascara. My essentials.). I ran back into my room and tugged on my all black Converse. I glanced at the clock. 7:30. Crap! I grabbed my iPod and my backpack and sprinted down the stairs. My mom looked up from the paper.  
"Aren't you going to have any breakfast?" She asked.  
"No time!" I called as I ran out the door.  
"HEY! STARR! WAIT!" My brother Christian called. We all call him CC. I paused for five seconds as he caught up. "Jeez! Practicing for a fire drill?"  
"No! Did you see the time?" I snapped.  
"We're fine. We've left later than this and had plenty of time. Chill sis."  
"ASH! JAKE!" I shouted. They were about half a block ahead of us. They stopped and waited for us. Ashley, Jake, Andy and Jinxx are me and my brother's best friends. They are all kind of like additional brothers to us. Except Ash to me. I've always had a massive crush on him, but I never let it show. I didn't want our friendship to get messed up because of something silly. Only CC knows. No one else. That's one thing I love about my brother. I can tell him ANYTHING. Once we caught up to the guys, Jake grabbed me into a hug.  
"How's my favorite lil' sis?" He smirked.  
"Well, I'd be better if you weren't suffocating me!"  
"My bad." He let go and punched me in the arm.  
"You STILL hit like a girl." I retorted.  
"Damn. I really thought it was improving."  
"I'm here, you know..." Ash muttered.  
"Hey. Sup?" I directed my attention towards him.  
"FINALLY! Someone acknowledges my existence!" He exclaimed.  
"Sowwy Ash." I hugged him.  
"If THAT'S how you react when I'm sad, I might as well be like that more often!" He winked at me. I had to keep extremely tight control to avoid blushing. Luckily, my brother came to my rescue.  
"Ash! I got some new beats we could use for that song you're writing!"  
"Awesome! Wanna work on it after school?"  
"Sure! You up to it, Jake?"  
"Yeah! But guys, we need to hightail it. School stars in 45 minutes." Jake replied.  
"C'mon. Let's go. Andy and Jinxx are probably waiting." I said. We started walking again. When we arrived, Andy and Jinxx were leaning against the building talking to Sammi, Jinxx's longtime girlfriend. Sammi ran over and hugged me, nearly knocking me down. Jinxx and Andy hugged me too. Andy of course laughs everytime he hugs me, because apparently "it's like hugging an elf". I punched him in the balls. He grunted and the rest of the guys cracked up.  
"Well, I may punch like a girl, but that girl certainly isn't Starr!" Jake remarked. I high fived him. Andy just glared. We chatted for a minute and then headed inside. As we were walking to the door, a group of the "popular" preps ran up and shoved me down.  
"Ow! What the fuck! Bitches!" I shouted. CC helped me up. The rest of the guys looked mad. Ashley and Andy approached the preps.  
"What the hell! Why did you do that?" Andy demanded.  
"Don't talk to me, you fag!" One of the girls snapped.  
"Hey! Andy is not a fag! I bet he could fuck better than any of your stupid preppy boys!" Ash responded. Another girl huffed. Then they strutted off.  
"Are you okay, Starr?" Andy questioned me.  
"I'm fine." I muttered. Ash hugged me. I breathed in his scent, one of my favorites. I kept the tears from coming, but it was hard. Ash let me go after a few minutes and I walked into the building with his arm around me. We have the same class, Communication Arts, first period. He sat in the desk next to me. I felt like crap. Ashley kept glancing over at me throughout class. When the bell rang, Ash waited for me at the door.  
"You aren't okay, are you?" He gently asked me. I shook my head, not wanting to talk and hear my voice shake. "Why don't we just cut the rest of the day?" He smiled. "Just you and me."  
"...Okay." I smiled a tiny bit. We waited until no teachers were at the door and quickly left. Once we were off school grounds, he turned to me.  
"Where do we go?" He asked me. I shrugged. "Come on, Starr. It's okay. I'm here." And he pulled me into his arms again.  
"Do you like hugging me or something, Ash?" I tried to joke.  
"...Maybe..." He shrugged. We sat in silence, me in his arms, his face in my hair for a while. My phone buzzed, so I picked it up to see who had messaged me. It was CC.  
"Where r u? We've been looking 4 u!" it read.  
"Hey. We gotta go. The guys wanna know where we are." I said quietly.  
"Okay." Ash said. We stood up. Ash looked me in the eyes. We stood there for a moment, looking at each other. Then, he leaned in and gave me a gentle kiss on the lips. I blushed madly. "Sorry!" He exclaimed.  
"No! Don't be!" I blurted. He looked confused.  
"But... I... I kissed you!" He blushed.  
"I know... I... I..." I stuttered.  
"What?" He asked.  
"The thing is... I..."  
"You what?"  
"I like you! A lot!" I blurted, instantly regretting it.  
"...I...Well, I like you too."  
"You do?" I sounded a bit too excited.  
"...Yeah." Ash was blushing insanely. I had never seen him like this.  
"I'm glad." I smiled. He looked up.  
"Really?"  
"Really. I was afraid that if I told you, you wouldn't want to hang around me anymore."  
"I wish you had told me. I REALLY like you. I just didn't want to make it awkward between us, between me and CC, and between you and your brother." Ash admitted.  
"...CC knows how much I lo- like you."  
"You were going to say... Love."  
"...I... Well... Yes."My cheeks felt like they were on fire. I couldn't look at Ash. He pulled my chin up and looked in my eyes. He smiled. Tears were filling my eyes. I never wanted this to happen...  
"It's okay." He hugged me again. I buried my head in his chest and he stroked my hair. It felt nice. It also felt right. We walked back to my house, his arm around me, and mine around him. And that was how we were when the guys spotted us. CC grinned, and the others looked puzzled.  
"Where the hell were you guys?" Andy asked. He was giving Ashley a look.  
"We decided to skip." Ash responded simply.  
"...And do what?" Jake asked suspiciously.  
"We just hung out. Talked." Ash was getting annoyed.  
"Guys. Chill. Let's work on the song." CC diverted everyone's attention.  
"Yeah. It's not like they're criminals." Andy joked. I wanted to throw my arms around him for loosening the tension in the air. We headed inside. I threw my backpack down. CC and I raced to the kitchen, nearly knocking my mom down in our hunt for snacks.  
"Woah! Guys! You act like you haven't eaten in years! Here. Take these to the rest of the guys and GET OUT OF MY CALM HOUSE."She winked at us as she handed us a platter of chips and salsa (Hehe. Get the joke? XD). The guys followed us down the street to Jake's house. Jake unlocked the door and we went down to the basement, where all of their instruments are set up. I flopped down on the couch. Ash sat down next to me. Jinxx's eyes immediately flickered over to the two of us.  
"...Ummm... What's up with you two? Are you like...?" Jinxx's voice trailed off.  
"Dating?" Ash responded.  
"Ummm... Yeah." Jinxx looked a bit embarrassed for asking. Ash turned to me.  
"Starr?" He asked.  
"…Yes...?"  
"Will you be my girlfriend?" He asked in a mock serious tone. Then he winked at me. I noticed that EVERYONE was watching me now. Even CC. Damn.  
"Well... I... Ummm..." I stuttered, blushing madly. Ash was looking right into my eyes.  
"Please?" He murmured.  
"Yes." I smiled. He grinned hugely and gave me a kiss. CC jumped up.  
"YEAH!" He shouted. We all stared at him for a minute. "Sorry. I like happy endings." He blushed. Ash smiled at him. Jinxx smiled a bit too.  
"Well. I guess my question has been answered." He said quietly.  
"...Today has been interesting." Andy noted.  
"Yay! My lil' sis has a boyfriend!" Jake cheered. My cheeks seemed to be permanently red.  
"Okay guys. Let's celebrate later. I wanna get these beats down before I lose them." CC said, but he was smiling too. Ash gave me another kiss and grabbed his bass. Jake and Jinxx both picked up their guitars and Andy plugged in his mic. Like always, magic happens when the 5 of them are together. The song was one Ash had been writing. It went something like this:

**NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED! I DID NOT WRITE THIS!**

I never meant to be the one

Who kept you from the dark

But now I know my wounds are sewn

Because of who you are

I will take this burden on

And become the holy one

But remember I am human

And I'm bound to sing this song

So hear my voice, remind you not to bleed I am here

Saviour

Will be there

When are feeling along, oh

A Saviour

for all that you do

So you live freely

Without their harm

So here I write my lullaby

To all the lonely ones

Remember as you learn to try

To be the one you love

So I can take this pen

And teach you how to live

What is left unsaid

the greatest gift I give

So hear my voice

Remind you not to bleed

I am here

Saviour

Will be there

When are feeling alone, oh

A Saviour

For all that you do

So you live freely

Without their harm

When I hear your cries

Praying for light

I will be there

I will always be there.

When the song was over, I jumped up.  
"Ash! That is an amazing song!" I exclaimed. Ash smiled.  
"Well, if it wasn't for Andy, the song would be crap." Ash said.  
"I take no credit. I'm just singing it the way you wanted me to." Andy jumped in.  
"So? If you weren't singing, it would be absolute bullshit." Ash argued.  
"GUYS. Stop arguing!" I shouted. Andy and Ashley fell silent.  
"Sorry." They both murmured.  
"...Ash?" I asked.  
"Yes?"  
"Who did you write that song for?"  
"...I... Wrote it for..." He stuttered.  
"For...?"  
"You." He blushed. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out.  
"Cute." CC remarked. I punched him in the arm. "Ow! What was that for?"  
No one answered. Jake called Jinxx over to look at something on his guitar. CC asked Andy to go upstairs with him to find something to drink. Ash and I were alone.  
"Did you really write that for me?" I asked him.  
"Yes. I did. I've liked you for a long time. I'm surprised you didn't know."  
"Why would I have known?"  
"Wasn't it obvious? I was sure that everyone knew..."  
"No... I thought you liked me, but as a sister. Like the others." I said. Ash laughed lightly.  
"Starr, if I liked you as a sister, then I would want to have incest."  
I blushed. CC came back downstairs with Andy. He tossed me a can of Coke.  
"Thanks, bro." I told him. He just smiled and went on handing out soda. I sat down on the sofa. Ash flopped down next to me and put his arm around me. Jake and Andy were trading jokes, CC was checking his phone, and Jinxx was watching me and Ash. After a few minutes, I leaned my head on Ashley's chest. At one point, Jake had told a really stupid joke, but Andy found it so funny that he fell off his chair laughing. CC then joined in the terrible-joke-fest. Jinxx acted like he was listening, but he was still watching Ashley and I. By that point, Ash had noticed the staring.  
"Jinxx...?" He asked.  
"Yeah?"  
"...Why are you staring at us? It's creeping me out, bro."  
"Sorry. You just look so happy. It reminds me of me and Sammi."  
"Oh. Okay." Ash turned his attention back towards me. He began stroking my hair. CC finally stood up.  
"Hey guys. It's like 6:30. We should probably be heading home." He said. I frowned, and Ash looked sad.  
"True. Come on Andy. My mom said you could stay for dinner if you want." Jinxx said (Andy and Jinxx are neighbors). They went up the stairs and out the door.  
"Hey, Starr. Ima head home. Are you gonna walk with Ash?" CC said.  
"Yeah." I responded. CC nodded and went up stairs. Jake started putting stuff away.  
"Are we gonna play tomorrow?" Ashley asked Jake.  
"Sure." Jake smiled. Ash took my hand and led me up the stairs. We walked down the street towards my house, hand in hand. I liked it that way. When we came to my street he stopped walking.  
"What's wrong?" I asked him.  
"It's silly really."  
"I doubt it." I told him. He looked at me.  
"I… I... I don't want to leave you." He blushed. I smiled. Then I kissed him. Once. On the lips. This then turned into a makeout. Then, I realized that we were making out in the middle of a street. I tugged his hand so he would follow me to the side of the road. We stood there, on the side of the road, kissing for quite a while. When it started getting dark, he walked me back to my house. After kissing me one last time, he took off. I shut the door and slumped against it. I couldn't keep the smile off of my face.  
"Someone looks happy!" CC crowed. I jumped. I hadn't seen him come around the corner. I blushed (of course). He laughed.  
"Hush!" I muttered. He grabbed me into a big hug.  
"Chill sis. You are my twin. I know you better than anyone. I'm not making fun of you. I am happy for you. And I approve of Ash. He's like the brother I never had." He smiled at me and let me out of the hug. I smiled back and went into my bedroom.


	3. Chapter 2

_Ashley's P.O.V.  
_

I really didn't want to be away from Starr. In fact, I hated it. I had liked her for so long, it felt good to have her be mine. I walked her to the driveway and kissed her again. I watched her go inside. She looked beautiful when she was so happy. I walked home, thinking about Starr. CC seemed to think it was great that we were together. The others didn't seem so sure about us though. Andy seemed to be okay with it and Jake too, I didn't know about Jinxx. I wanted to not care, but they were my brothers. I wanted them to approve. I reached my house before long and went inside. It was empty. A note sat on the table.  
"Gone out for dinner! See you when I get back!" it read. Of course. Why am I not surprised? I went upstairs into my room and picked up my camera. I scrolled through all of the pictures of Starr. It made me happy to see her face. I heard my phone go off. It was Starr. My heart skipped a beat. She had texted me.  
"Hey! Missin u already! 3"  
I smiled.  
"I love you 3" I sent back.  
"I bet I love u more!" she wrote back.  
"Nope. Not possible."  
"Aww. Ur 2 sweet. Gtg. Sry! 3" she sent. I frowned. Oh well, I thought.  
":'( Love you!" I sent back. I didn't get a response, so I went downstairs to find something to eat. Of course, there was nothing. I fished my half-full Monster out of the back of the refrigerator and  
went back into my room. I plugged my iPod into the stereo. "Bewitched" by Blood On The Dance Floor was playing. One of her favorite songs. I settled down on my bed and lay there, listening to music and thinking about my love. Somewhere amongst all the happy memories, I fell asleep.

_Starr's P.O.V._

*alarm goes off*  
I sat up in bed instantly. Instead of fighting off sleepiness, I hopped right out of bed. I yanked open my closet door. Nothing fell out today. I grabbed a purple mini skirt, plain black tank top, and my black and white polka dot tights. I quickly got dressed and did my hair and makeup. I couldn't wait to see Ash. I galloped down the steps and went in the kitchen. I opened the cabinet door and grabbed a cold Pop Tart. Yum! My mom looked up from the paper.  
"Someone's in a good mood today..." She said. I smiled and ran back upstairs to put on my Converse. As I was running to my room, I nearly knocked over CC.  
"Woah!" He shouted and flattened himself against the wall.  
"Sorry!" I replied as I zipped into my room. After shoving on my shoes, I grabbed my iPod and backpack. I came out and walked in the bathroom. CC was combing out his hair.  
"Ready already?" He looked surprised.  
"Hurry up! I wanna go!" I barked. He smiled and washed his hands.  
"Alright. Let me grab my backpack." He walked out of the bathroom and back into his room. I ran down the stairs and opened the door. CC came  
down after me. Mom looked up, smiled, and then went back to reading the newspaper. CC shut the door behind him. I was TRYING not to run.  
"Excited to see Ash?" He grinned.  
"...Maybe..."  
"It shows."  
"Damn." I tried to wipe the insane smile off my face and calm down. It didn't really work. I spotted Ash up ahead walking with Jake. My heart sped up. I started running towards them. Ash didn't hear me coming, so my hug was more of a tackle. He managed to not fall, so it was okay. He turned around and hugged me tight. Then he kissed me. CC and Jake looked elsewhere, as it was kind of an awkward moment. We started walking again after CC cleared his throat a couple of times. Ash's arm was around my shoulders and mine around his waist. CC and Jake were talking about a new song. Andy, Jinxx and Sammi were in their usual spot when we got to school. When Sammi saw Ashley and me, her eyes nearly popped out of her skull. Andy saw it and laughed. Sammi ran over to hug me as usual.  
"Woah! Are you and Ash like... A thing?" She whispered in my ear. I giggled.  
"Yes, Sammi." I smiled. She looked excited.  
"Congrats, girl!" She cheered. Jinxx smiled. I blushed. I saw the group of preps from yesterday then. They looked at me and I flipped them off. Ash gave them a look of death. They scuttled off. We had about 30 minutes until school started, so we hung out and talked. A lot of questions were aimed and me and Ashley. I blushed even harder when Andy asked me how long I had like Ash.  
"Hey! She has privacy you know!" Ash glared at Andy. I laughed.  
"Ash. Chill. Andy, I have liked Ashley since I met him." I blushed a little. Ash smiled. Then, the conversation turned towards the new song Ashley had written, Saviour. After a while, we went inside so we wouldn't be late to class. Ash and I found our seats in Comm. Arts. The teacher walked over to us.  
"The principal would like to see you both. Take this pass." She told us. I stood up and Ash followed me out the door. When we got to the office, the principal waved us in.  
"Miss Coma. Mister Purdy. It appears that you cut classes yesterday afternoon."  
"Yes sir." Ash and I mumbled in unison.  
"Why, may I ask?" He asked. Ash started to say something, but I cut him off.  
"We cut because I was having a very bad day. You see, sir, earlier in the day, a group of girls came and shoved me to the ground. They bully me nearly every day, but yesterday, for some reason, it just really got to me. I am sorry, sir. It won't happen again." I could feel the tears coming. I blinked them back.  
"I see." He said. We stood in front of his desk in silence for a moment. "Well, you are dismissed." Ash had a look of shock on his face. We left before he changed his mind though. "Miss Coma?" the principal called after me. I walked back in. "What are these bullies' names?" he asked, looking truly concerned. I gave him the girls' names and he dismissed me again. When I came back out of his office, Ash stood waiting.  
"What was that all about?" He questioned.  
"He wanted to know who the bullies were." I said quietly. We walked back to class in silence. Everyone stared as we entered the classroom. We handed our pass back to the teacher and quickly sat down. The rest of the day passed uneventfully. As we stood outside of the building after school, Ash held me. The other guys emerged and I saw Jinxx kiss Sammi before she left with some friends.  
"Hey guys! Are we gonna play some songs?" CC asked excitedly. Andy and Jake followed behind CC. Jinxx was the last to join us.  
"Well, I don't know about you guys, but I am HUNGRY." Andy interrupted. I laughed.  
"Then let's go! My mom ALWAYS has food waiting." I told him. CC nodded in agreement. We headed over to our house. Andy jumped up the steps.  
"I hope it's something with cheese this time!" He exclaimed. I rolled my eyes. CC opened the door and we all piled in. Mom was in the kitchen. She pulled a sheet of cookies out of the oven.  
"COOKIES!" Ash shouted. Jake's eyes opened quite wide. Jinxx looked as though he might start drooling. Andy looked slightly disappointed. Mom laughed and walked over to the refrigerator. She pulled out a stick of string cheese for Andy. He looked delighted and grabbed my mom into a big hug, nearly lifting her off the floor.  
"I guess you're glad I got cheese." She said to Andy. He nodded and ripped open the package. Jake motioned to the door, his mouth full of cookie. Ash followed me out and when we got down the steps, he grabbed me and lifted me off the ground. I shrieked. CC laughed at me. I glared at him and he rolled his eyes. Andy was too distracted with cheese. Jinxx was balancing the plate of cookies while attempting to eat them all. Ashley carried me all the way to Jake's house. And I protested all the way.  
"Put me down!" I laughed.  
"No."  
"You're gonna hurt yourself!"  
"I am NOT a weakling! And you're pretty lightweight you know!" He exclaimed.  
"I don't care! Put me down!"  
"Not gonna happen."  
We argued like this the whole way there. He carried me into the living room.  
"ASHLEY! PUT. ME. DOWN." I demanded.  
"Fine!" He said as he dumped me on to the couch. I glared at him as best as I could and swatted him with a pillow. He stuck his tongue out at me. I leapt off the couch and tackled him. We fell to the floor laughing. The others ignored us and went downstairs. Ash sat up, knocking me off the top of him. He kissed me.  
"Not here." I hissed. He rolled his eyes and helped me up. We went downstairs. CC looked up from a piece of paper when we came to the bottom off the steps.  
"Decided to join us?" He asked sarcastically. I blushed. Ash picked up his bass and began tuning it. I settled on to the couch. Andy looked at me.  
"Don't you ever get bored? Just sitting there?" He asked me. I shrugged.  
"Yeah! I mean, we're doing all the playing, and you don't get to do anything!" Jake chimed in.  
"I'm fine!" I replied. CC didn't look convinced.  
"Come on, sis. I've heard you sing. You're good."  
"What? When have you heard me sing?" I gasped.  
"Sis. You sing all the time. When you're listening to your iPod, when you're in the shower, all the time. Chill. You're really good."  
I couldn't stop blushing. Ash smiled at me.  
"Here! Sing something for us!" Andy handed me his mic, encouraging me. I shook my head.  
"Come on!" Jake exclaimed.  
"Starr. We're your brothers. Except for Ash. But still. I bet you're better than you think! Come on. Sing." Jinxx grinned at me. I sighed.  
"Fine." I shot my brother a dirty look.  
"What song shall it be?" Jake asked me, picking up his guitar.  
"Umm..." I had to think.  
"Pick anything."  
"How about... Do you know... Like You by Evanescence?" I picked the first thing that came to mind.  
"Yeah! I love Evanescence." Jake smiled. The others sat down. They were my brothers (and my boyfriend) but I was still nervous. Andy gave me a thumbs up and I motioned for Jake to start.

**AGAIN I DID NOT WRITE THIS! NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT INTENDED!**

Stay low.

Soft, dark, and dreamless,

Far beneath my nightmares and loneliness.

I hate me,

For breathing without you.

I don't want to feel anymore for you.

Grieving for you,

I'm not grieving for you.

Nothing real love can't undo,

And though I may have lost my way,

All paths lead straight to you.

I long to be like you,

Lie cold in the ground like you.

Halo,

Blinding wall between us.

Melt away and leave us alone again.

The humming, haunted somewhere out there.

I believe our love can see us through in death.

I long to be like you,

Lie cold in the ground like you.

There's room inside for two and I'm not grieving for you,

I'm coming for you.

You're not alone,

No matter what they told you, you're not alone.

I'll be right beside you forevermore.

I long to be like you, sis,

Lie cold in the ground like you did.

There's room inside for two and I'm not grieving for you.

And as we lay in silent bliss,

I know you remember me.

I long to be like you,

Lie cold in the ground like you.

There's room inside for two and I'm not grieving for you,

I'm coming for you.

I hit every note perfectly. I managed to keep my voice from shaking, but it was hard. When I finished the song, Andy jumped up.  
"That was amazing!" He nearly shouted. I blushed. Again. I had a real problem with blushing.  
"I told you. She's really good." CC smirked.  
"No shit! She's amazing! Are you not with a band Starr? You totally should be." Jinxx exclaimed.  
"I don't really have anyone to be in a band with." I murmured. Jinxx frowned.  
"That is true. I mean, we're all pretty much booked, Sammi is with My Satellite, and..." CC trailed off.  
"I don't have that many friends." I admitted. Ash looked mad.  
"Why not? You're such a sweet girl! Everyone loves you! How can you not have any friends?" Ash shouted.  
"...Well...I..."  
"Did you not see what most of the female population thought of her yesterday?" CC cut me off.  
"That was just the fucking prep bitches! What about all the others? There are 500 other girls in that fucking building so why can't she have any friends?" Ash argued.  
"Because none of them will give her a chance! That's why!" CC shouted back.  
"Stop." I said. Everyone ignored me.  
"Well, that's pure bullshit! Starr is the sweetest girl I know! Sorry, Jinxx, but to me, she's sweeter than Sammi! And everyone loves Sammi!" Ash continued to shout.  
"I don't know about being sweeter than Sammi, but if anyone if as sweet as my love, it's Starr!" Jinxx joined in the shouting.  
"Well, it's great that we think that, but nobody else does! It's not HER fault!" CC argued.  
"I NEVER said it was her fault! I never said that!" Ash snapped.  
"Stop!" Once again, I was ignored.  
"I know! I never said that you said that! I'm just saying that it isn't her fault that girls don't like her! It's fucking ridiculous!" CC snapped back.  
"I wish I could kill every one of those bitches who don't like her!" Ash screamed.  
"Ash! You can't say that! I want to, too! But you can't say that!" CC screamed back.  
"FUCKING STOP IT! ALL OF YOU! STOP SCREAMING! JUST FUCKING STOP!" I screamed at the top of my lungs. The room fell silent. Ash tried to hug me. I pushed his arm away. "Stop arguing over me! I am just a person! It doesn't matter if people don't like me! I don't like most of them so I don't really give a fuck! Sure, I can sing. No, I'm not in a band. It doesn't really matter! Okay? So stop making me the cause of a fight! Just stop!" I started to cry. I didn't even try to hold back the tears. I ran up the stairs and out of the house. I didn't stop until I reached my house. I quietly opened the door so my mom wouldn't hear me and I fled up the steps into my room. I locked the door and collapsed on to my bed in tears. About an hour later, there was a knock on my door.  
"Go away!" I shouted.  
"Starr... Please. Let me in." It was CC.  
"No."  
"Please." He sounded upset. I wiped my face and got up to unlock the door. CC came in and I shut the door again. He wrapped his arms around me. The tears started falling again. "Please Starr. Don't cry."  
"I'm sorry, CC. I didn't mean to get so upset. Are the others mad?" I asked as I sat down on my bed.  
"Mad? They're worried sick about you! Especially Ash. He kept beating himself up about making you so upset."  
"Dammit!" I almost shouted. CC rubbed my arm, trying to calm me down.  
"Starr. He's fine. Just worried."  
"Where is he? I want to see him." I demanded.  
"He went home. Go on. He'll be glad you came over." CC smiled. I smiled a tiny bit and got up.  
"I love you, bro." I said as I was leaving. I left the house and practically sprinted down the street towards Ash's house. When I got there, I didn't knock. I just let myself in. His parents weren't there (typical) so I went into his bedroom. He was lying on his bed, facing the wall.  
"Ash." I said. He shot up.  
"Starr!" He cried. I noticed a tear on his cheek. I sat down next to him. He looked at me for a minute, neither of us knowing what to say. I wiped the tear off of his cheek and he leaned his head on my shoulder. I smiled at him.  
"Things got pretty fucked up there, didn't they?" He smiled weakly at me.  
"I guess they did..." I murmured. I kissed his cheek softly. He kissed me back, on the lips. We sat there, kissing for quite some time. It must have been 7 or 8 o'clock before I told him I needed to get back home. He pulled me back into his arms and kissed me again.  
"Don't go." He said quietly.  
"I would stay if I could, but my mom will be getting worried if I don't come home soon. She'll think we're..." I trailed off, blushing. Ash pondered this for a moment and I slapped his arm. He laughed. I tried to glare at him, but I couldn't keep from smiling.  
"I know. And honestly, it would be fun." He smirked. I stood up. He frowned.  
"Sorry, Ash. I love you, but I'm not going down that road. Not yet. Maybe once we're engaged." I winked at him, although I was serious about the first part. He seemed to understand.  
"Okay. I don't want to rush you into anything. Wow. That sounded really lame. But really, I'd rather wait a thousand years if it makes you happy." He smiled. He walked me to the door and I kissed him one last time and left. He watched me leave. When I got home, mom was sitting on the couch.  
"Where were you?" She asked.  
"I was at Ashley's house. He wanted to talk to me." I told her. She nodded.  
"Okay. Just wondering." She smiled. I smiled back and went upstairs. I knocked on CC's bedroom door.  
"Yes?" He said as he opened the door. I came in, despite the fact that he hadn't invited me in. I smiled at him. "I'm guessing that means that things are okay between you and Ash?" He questioned.  
"Correct!" I exclaimed.  
"Let me guess. You also did a lot of kissing in the whole "kiss & make up" process." He winked at me.  
"...Is it that obvious? And also, why does it matter to you? Are you some sort of creep that get's turned on by his twin and her boyfriend's love life?"  
"Thanks. I love you too. Yes, it is obvious. I know you. I can tell when you're super happy."  
"I was kidding. But yes. We made out. A lot. It was delicious."  
"...Too much detail. That is disgusting." He winced.  
"Ha! You did ask..." I hugged him and went across the hall to my room.


	4. Chapter 3

_Ashley's P.O.V.  
_

I returned to my room after watching Starr leave. I picked up the blanket she had been sitting on and sniffed it. It smelled like her. God, I loved her. I decided to get ready for bed since there wasn't much exciting happening now that Starr had left. I went and took a shower and put my pajamas on. I didn't fall asleep very quickly, as I was so excited about seeing Starr. I fell asleep eventually and dreamed about her (of course). Somewhere in the middle of the night, I heard the front door slam shut. I jumped out of bed and tiptoed down the hall. My mother was stumbling around, clearly drunk. This wasn't unusual to me as it happened multiple times a week. I went back in my room and fell asleep again. Around 5 in the morning, I heard my mom in the bathroom. Hungover again... I picked up my phone and stared at it. I wanted to talk to Starr, but it was clearly too late - early rather - to call her, so I texted her instead.  
"Sry its so early... I was thinkin about u. 3" It read. I wasn't expecting anything back, so I stared at the ceiling. A few minutes later, I heard my phone buzz. I grabbed it.  
"Do u have any idea what time it is? O well. I love u! I was dreaming about u and me (;" It was from Starr. My heart swelled up.  
"O really? What was the dream about?" I sent back. A few seconds later, my phone buzzed again.  
"...Do I really need to tell you? I'm sure you can imagine... (;" My heart pounded and I blushed.  
"...Wow. Interesting dream. Too bad it wasn't real... XD" I replied.  
"Hmmm. That is a shame isn't it?" She was provoking me now.  
"You enjoy teasing me, don't you? 3"  
"You're so sexy when you want me! XD Lmao" I REALLY blushed this time.  
"I don't have to want you. I have you. I love you."  
"3"  
"Is it 6 already?"  
"Ya. XD"  
"Oh. Gtg then. 3 u." I regretted having to go, but I needed to get dressed.  
"Nooo! :'(" Her reply was heart wrenching. I set my phone down and got dressed.

_Starr's P.O.V._

"Nooo! :'(" I texted Ash when he said he had to go. I decided I may as well go ahead and get up. 30 more minutes of sleep didn't do me much good. I opened my closet and pulled out my favorite skinny jeans. They were white with grey splotches and had rips all the way down the front. I grabbed my Asking Alexandria shirt and changed. I pulled my Converse on, grabbed my backpack and knocked on CC's door. I heard him fall off his bed.  
"Bro! I'm going to Ash's. We'll meet you when you come down the street where we normally meet up."  
"Hmmph." I heard him grunt. I took that as a "yes" and left. Mom waved at me as I went out the door. I ran down the street towards Ash's house. I knocked on the door. Ash quickly opened up.  
"Shh. My mom is asleep."  
"Then come outside!" I hissed. He grabbed his backpack and came outside, shutting the door behind him. When we were on his porch, he kissed me. We started making out. After a minute, I had to sit down.  
"What's wrong?" He looked worried.  
"...Your kissing makes me dizzy." I smiled weakly. He winked at me and sat down next to me. He leaned in and we started making out again. A few minutes later, I heard footsteps.  
"GET A ROOM!" Jake shouted.  
"YEAH! YOU'LL SCAR THE SMALL CHILDREN'S MINDS!" CC called. I flipped them off and Ash didn't stop kissing me. CC walked over to where Ashley and I were. We didn't stop kissing. CC stood there for a minute and then slapped the back of Ash's head. I stood up. CC smirked. I punched him in the balls. He groaned and Jake and Ash cracked up. Then, I walked over to Jake and slapped him, open handed, across the face. Then, Ash came over and kissed me again. CC growled at me and we all left for school. Nothing (good or bad) happened at school. School in general was boring as hell. The preps glared at me but didn't say anything. After school, we all went back to Jake's house. They worked on "Saviour" some more.  
"I think it sounds great!" Ash was excited.  
"...Yeah, but I think it needs some... Screaming." Andy said. So they played it again, and this time, Andy screamed the last bit. I jumped up in excitement after they finished the song.  
"That was it! That was what it needed!" I shouted. Andy smiled.  
"Yeah! I think it's perfect!" Ash chimed in.  
"And he would know. He wrote it." CC said.  
"Starr. You need to sing a duet with Andy sometime." Jake said.  
"Omigod we should!" Andy jumped up and down.  
"...That's creepy, Andy." I joked.  
"No! Really!" he replied.  
"…Okay. I won't argue." I said with a smile. Everyone cheered.  
"I'll find a song tonight." Andy promised. Soon, all the guys started heading home. Ash and I walked together. He kissed me before I went inside and started walking home. I smiled.

_Ashley's P.O.V._

I walked home silently. It always made me sad to be away from Starr. When I walked in my house, no one was there. There was no note, nothing to tell me where my mom was. I didn't really care, though. My mom was never really a mom. She was more of a roommate. If she was there, she was there. If she wasn't, then I was on my own. It had been that was since I turned 12. That was the year that she discovered that my dad had been cheating. They had a huge fight and he walked out. We never heard from him again. Everything went downhill from there. We lost his income, my mom started drinking and I was alone. I would never forgive my father. Never. He didn't even deserve to be called a father. My mom didn't deserve any of his shit. She never did a single thing to him that made her deserve the hell he put her through. If I ever ended up married, with a kid no less, I would be there. Always. I wouldn't stray, no matter how rough things got. I started blushing when I realized that I was thinking about Starr. I loved her, but I knew she would probably find someone better. And I wouldn't stand in her way if she did. Sure, it would hurt like hell, but I wasn't going to be the one to keep her from being happy. Starr was the only girl I had ever felt this way about. I had dated a lot of girls and had thought several were "the one", but this time was different. It sounded so silly, but I knew it was true. I didn't know why she was different, though. I wandered back into my room and tried not to think about her. I should've known that it was impossible. Everything reminded me of her. While it was quiet and the bathroom was unoccupied, I decided to take a shower. While I was in the shower, I heard my phone go off. I quickly shut off the water and grabbed it. The message wasn't from Starr, though. It was from my mom.  
"Call me." Was all it said. I threw on a t-shirt and some jeans and called her.  
"Ashley, honey," I heard her say.  
"Mom. What is it?" I asked, worriedly. I heard her sniffle.  
"It's your father, Ashley."  
"What about him?" I wasn't really interested anymore.  
"…He's…" She began to sob.  
"Mom! Answer me!"  
"He was in a car accident." She whispered.  
"Oh." I replied. I didn't know what to say. "Is he okay?"  
"Oh, Ash." She mumbled.  
"What?"  
"Your dad… He… He died in the accident." She burst into tears again. I gasped.  
"…He's… Dead?" I was in shock.  
"Ashley. I love you. And your dad did too."  
"…I know, mom." I found it hard to believe that he actually cared about me and my mom, but I knew that now wasn't a good time to bring that up again.  
"I'm at the hospital now. I don't know if you'll want to come. You can if you want, but there isn't anything here." She sounded like she was trying to keep calm.  
"Where was he? When they had the accident, I mean."  
"He was in town. There were three other passengers, all slightly younger girls," I heard her grit her teeth. "They all survived. They said that they were taking a road trip and that they were just passing through town. Then, a car swerved into their lane and crushed the driver's side of the car."  
"…That's a bit disturbing." I mumbled, still trying to get over the initial shock that my father was actually dead.  
"Oh, darling. I love you. I'm coming home soon." My mom was crying again.  
"I love you too, mom. I'll be waiting for you." I promised her.  
"I will see you in a bit."  
"Okay."  
"Bye, Ash." She hung up. I sat down on my bed. My hands were shaking. From the drawer in the table by my bed, I pulled my old razor. I had quit cutting more than a year and a half ago. My guilt over thinking the horrible things I had been thinking about my dad was starting to eat at my heart. I set down the razor. I didn't want to start doing the very thing that nearly killed me again. I felt a single tear roll down my cheek. I picked up the razor again. I turned my wrist over. I could see the faint pink scars that still hadn't quite healed, the reminders of something I wanted to leave behind.  
"I'm sorry, dad." I whispered as I drew the razor across my wrist once. I saw the blood well up on my wrist and put the razor back in the drawer. After a moment, I pulled it back out and snapped it in half. I took the pieces of the razor outside and dropped them into the dumpster. I slowly walked back into my room and curled up into a ball on my bed. The world went black.

_Starr's P.O.V._

When I awoke in the morning, it instantly dawned on me that it was Friday. A smile stretched across my face. I usually dreaded weekends. Since I didn't really have any friends besides the guys, I never had anything to do. But now I had Ash. Just the thought of him got my heart beating twice as fast. I quickly jumped out of bed and opened my closet door. I grabbed my favorite white skinnies and my new We Came As Romans t-shirt. I dressed myself and started doing my hair. CC stumbled out of his room, looking very sleepy.  
"G'day brother!" I said in an Australian accent. He blinked a couple of times and went downstairs. A few minutes later, he returned with a Pop Tart in hand and retreated back into his room. I finished my hair and makeup and went back into my room. CC went in the bathroom and shut the door. I grabbed my Converse and started lacing them up. Then I picked up my phone. No messages. I frowned. Oh well, I thought to myself. I rounded up all of my homework assignments and put them into my backpack. CC emerged a few minutes later.  
"Ready?" He asked me. I nodded and he picked up his backpack. We headed outside. I began to skip and CC laughed.  
"What?" I glared at him.  
"You're skipping."  
"REALLY? I thought I was swimming!" I replied sarcastically. He rolled his eyes. I spotted Jake up ahead. I ran up the street to meet him.  
"Hey, Starr." He smiled.  
"Where's Ash?" I questioned.  
"I don't know. He didn't come out this morning." Jake frowned.  
"…Maybe we should check on him. I hope he isn't sick…"  
"Jeez, Starr. You run too fast." CC huffed after catching up. I rolled my eyes. I crossed through a couple of yards before climbing the steps up Ash's front porch. I knocked on the door. After a moment, Ashley's mom came to the door. She looked really upset but she tried to smile when she saw me.  
"Ah. Hello, Starr."  
"Good morning. Is Ash coming to school today?" I smiled at her.  
"Oh, yes. He's just running a bit late."  
"I see. When do you think he'll be ready?" I asked politely.  
"Any minute, I believe."  
"I'm here." Ash came out the door. "Love you mom."  
"See you later, darling." She forced a smile.  
"Bye!" I called as we left. When she shut the door, Ash kissed me. I could tell something was wrong.  
"I love you." He told me.  
"What's wrong?" I asked him. He frowned. "Ash, it's okay. Whatever it is, you can tell me."  
"I know." He said quietly. We walked in silence, lagging a bit behind CC and Jake. By the time we got to school, Ash still hadn't said anything. The others seemed worried too. During first period, Ash sat there, staring at his desk the entire time. When the bell rang, I waited for him outside the door.  
"Ash. Tell me what's wrong."  
"I'm fine."  
"No, you aren't. Don't lie to me." I looked him in the eye.  
"I really don't want to talk about it right now."  
"Ash… please."  
"I'm sorry."  
"Why don't we just skip the rest of the day? Just you and me." I smiled a tiny bit, hearing myself say the words he said to me the first time he ever told me he loved me. He looked up. I nodded towards the door. Then we took off. I led him to our spot and sat down. He followed my lead. I took his hand in mine. That was when I felt the Band-Aid on his wrist. "Ash! What happened?" I looked at him.  
"It's nothing." He mumbled.  
"Really, Ash? Don't lie to me." I turned his wrist over and pulled the bandage off. Underneath was a small pink cut mark.  
"Starr! It's nothing! I told you!" He cried.  
"That isn't "nothing". Please don't tell me you were cutting!" I pleaded.  
"It was one time." He turned his head away.  
"No. You can't." I whispered. He looked at me. I could see tears glistening in his eyes.  
"I'm sorry." He whispered back. A tear began to roll down his cheek. I wiped it away.  
"Ash. I love you. So much more than you could ever know. Please tell me what's wrong. Why did you cut yourself?" I begged him.  
"Starr…"  
"Ash. Tell me." I said through clenched teeth.  
"It's my dad."  
"HE did this to you?"  
"No!" Ash exclaimed through tears.  
"Then what?"  
"Last night. He… He… Died." He sniffled.  
"…Died? Oh, Ash! I am so sorry! Ugh! I feel horrible now! I am so sorry!"  
"Don't be. It's not your fault. There's nothing you could've done to stop it. Don't apologize.  
"Ash… I love you." I whispered. Then I kissed him. A deep, passionate kiss. He buried his head in my chest, much like I did when we came here the first time.  
"…I'm so lucky to have you, Starr. I will always love you. Please know that." He whispered in my ear.  
"Don't talk like that. It sounds like a goodbye. And you're not going anywhere." I hissed.  
"I don't mean it like that. You know that." He kissed my cheek. I ran my hand through his black hair and he wiped his eyes. We sat there for what seemed like an eternity in each other's arms.  
"Ash."  
"Yes?"  
"Do you want to go back to Jake's?"  
"Sure."  
"If you don't, then we won't go."  
"I do."  
"I do, too. Then, you'll be mine forever." I winked at him. A hint of a smile played on his lips. I stood up and helped him up. I grabbed his hand and we walked back to Jake's house.  
"You do realize that we're probably going to get detention for skipping again? This is the second time this week." He looked at me.  
"Damn. Oh well. As long as we don't get suspended…" I laughed. He rolled his eyes. When we got to Jake's house, the guys were all sitting on the front porch.  
"Where the hell were you guys?" CC shouted at me.  
"We skipped." I muttered.  
"No shit! Why?"  
"Ash was really upset, okay?" I shouted back. CC still looked really pissed.  
"Seriously, guys. You have to quit skipping school. You're gonna get suspended." Jinxx inserted.  
"I hate to say it, but he's right." Jake agreed.  
"STOP TELLING ME WHAT TO DO!" I shouted. "I am 17 fucking years old! Okay? I can do what I want! It's not like we skip everyday!"  
"She's right." Andy said quietly. Ash stood there, silently.  
"Andy! Shut it! She's MY sister! Not yours!" CC snapped.  
"CC! Just because I am your sister doesn't make it okay for you to tell me, or Andy, off! I have my own will! My own life! Deal with it!" I yelled. He flinched.  
"…Yeah, CC… Seriously…" Ash said hesitantly. CC looked at the ground. I couldn't keep my teeth from clenching. I could feel tears of anger coming. I turned away and was about to walk away.  
"Starr…" CC started. I turned back to face him.  
"Oh. CC. By the way, Andy isn't my brother, but sometimes I wish he was instead of you!" I snapped and ran off. Ashley followed me. When we got to my house, my mom's car was gone so I got my key out and let myself in. I ran up to my room and shut the door once Ash and I were inside. I collapsed on to my bed in tears. Ash sat down and pulled me into his arms. He rubbed my shoulder and I kissed him on the lips. We started making out. He pinned me against the wall while we were on the bed. I pulled his shirt off. He started kissing my neck. I could feel his smooth skin against my hands. I put my hand on his cheek and moved his head back up to my lips. I started running my hands through his silky hair and he pulled my shirt off. My cheeks heated up. He began to fiddle with the clasp on my bra but I caught his hand and moved it away.  
"Not today…" I whispered.  
"Then when?" He whispered back, his mouth pressed against my lips.  
"I don't know, but not now…" I told him. He semi-nodded and we began kissing again. A few minutes later, my door swung open. I shrieked.  
"Sta—HOLY SHIT! What the hell are you guys doing in here?" CC screamed.  
"What does it look like, you idiot?" I snapped. Ash smirked.  
"Well, CC, to be honest, I'd like to say I was doing your sister, but she's too good for that."  
"Ashley. I seriously could punch you in the face right now."  
"Then do it!" Ash challenged CC.  
"No."  
"Why not? Scared?" Ash smirked.  
"I swear Ash, if you knock my sister up I will kill you." CC growled.  
"CC. Chill out. We didn't do anything but kiss."  
"That wasn't what it looked like! Starr! Put your fucking shirt back on!" He yelled at me. I didn't argue and quickly slipped my t-shirt back on. I tried to hand Ash his shirt but he wouldn't take it.  
"Hey! Don't go being a dick to her! It's not her fault!"  
"Oh really? Because I don't think you forced her into this, Ashley!"  
"No, I didn't. I was the one who took her shirt off. It's not her fault."  
"But she took YOUR shirt off, which is probably what started this!"  
"So what if she took my fucking shirt off?"  
"Well that usually leads to trouble, smart one!" CC snapped.  
"Whatever! If Starr wants to fuck me, so be it! It's not like she's 12! She's not married to you! She's allowed to do what she wants!" Ash yelled.  
"I never said she couldn't do what she wanted to! I just don't want my sister to get knocked up by some stupid asshole!"  
"Fuck you! I'm not gonna knock her up!" Ash screamed.  
"Having sex is a pretty good way to knock up a girl!" CC hissed. That was when Ash had it. He punched CC in the face. I stayed huddled in the corner of my room, not knowing what to do. My mom didn't seem to be coming home anytime soon and I sure as hell wasn't about to step in between two guys having a fistfight. Ash's punch sent CC into my wall. He bounced back and hit Ash back in the stomach. Ash grunted and lunged for my brother. He hit CC and they fell backwards into the hallway. CC shoved Ash off the top of him and ran outside. I ran over to where Ash was. I saw a few scratches on him but he didn't seem to be seriously injured. I helped him up.  
"Ash, please."  
"What?" He looked at me.  
"Don't fight him."  
"He started it!" Ash protested.  
"Don't fight CC. Don't get hurt. I love you too much."  
"You think he'd win?"  
"No, but I don't want either of you to get hurt!"  
"I don't really have a choice…"  
"Yes, you do! Don't go out there!"  
"What am I supposed to do then?"  
"Stay here."  
"And…?"  
"Kiss me. Love me. I don't know. Just don't go out there." I pleaded.  
"Starr…"  
"Please Ash! Please!" I begged him.  
"I can't just NOT go out there! He'll think that I wimped out or something!"  
"Who cares! I don't!"  
"Well I care! CC cares!"  
"Fine."  
"Fine?"  
"Go. Fight my brother. Get hurt. Go ahead. But don't come to me when you feel like loving me again. I won't be here." I turned on my heel and went outside. Ash just stood there. I should've been crying, but there were too many emotions going through my head. Anger, at CC for hating Ash. Sadness, for leaving Ash. Temporarily or permanently, I didn't know how long I would be without Ash. I hoped it wasn't long; he was the love of my life, perhaps my afterlife too. But I didn't want him to go out there and kill my brother, or for my brother to kill him. I couldn't handle that. If either of them were gone, I would kill myself. I sat down under the big oak tree in our front yard. I had no clue where CC had gone. Ash was still inside. This day had turned to shambles. My mom was nowhere to be found. I waited and waited for CC to come home, but after an hour, he still hadn't returned. I walked over to the front door and slowly opened it. Nobody was in the living room.  
"Hello?" I called out. I heard muffled crying. "Ash?" I called out. No response. I followed the sound of the tears into the kitchen. There, I found Ash, sitting on the floor with a knife.  
"Ash! What the hell are you doing?" I screamed. He just looked at me.  
"Ashley! Give me the knife!" I cried. He shook his head. "What are you doing?" I shouted again.  
"Getting rid of the pain…" He mumbled. He put the knife to his wrist and cut himself. I noticed several slice marks on his arm.  
"Ashley! Stop!" I screamed and lunged for the knife. He pulled it out of my reach. I landed on top of him.  
"I'm sorry I hurt you Starr." He whispered.  
"Ash…?" I watched him as he laid the knife against his skin again. As he was about to press down, I hit his arm which sent the knife skittering across the kitchen floor. He screamed out.  
"Why did you do that?" He roared at me.  
"I don't want you to hurt yourself!" I screamed in his face. He just smiled.  
"If you're in pain, I want to be too." He whispered. He pulled up the leg on his jeans to reveal hundreds of tiny cut marks. I gasped.  
"ASH! Why?" I shrieked.  
"For you…" He whispered. Then he pressed his lips against mine. I kissed him back for a moment before pushing him away. He looked hurt.  
"Ash. I don't wanna be the cause of your pain. Just because I'm hurting doesn't mean I want you to also! THIS is what makes me hurt!" I cried. He cradled my face between his hands.  
"Sometimes… I just wanna end it all." He whispered.  
"Me too, but we have to be strong!" I looked him in the eyes.  
"I know… It just seems impossible sometimes…"  
"Oh, Ash. I love you. Don't ever leave me. I don't care how much you hate life, never leave me!" I breathed. He smiled a tiny bit.  
"I could never hate my life now that I have you…" He told me as he kissed me. I just smiled and kissed him back. We sat there for possibly hours. I heard the door slam shut. CC walked into the kitchen. He opened the fridge, not seeing us. When he shut the door, he spotted us. He screamed in surprise. I couldn't help it. I started giggling.  
"What the hell?" CC looked confused. He looked down at the knife on the floor, then to Ash's arm, then to the two of us lying on the floor.  
"Long story." I mumbled. Ash just smiled.  
"…You know, I don't think I wanna know." He snapped and walked out, giving Ash a dirty look on the way out. After he left, we got up and went back up to my room.  
"Are you sure you wanna be up here? This is where that entire fight started…" Ash said cautiously. I rolled my eyes.  
"It's my room. You can be in here. We can do what we want in here. My brother is just either PMSing or he's jealous because he doesn't have a girlfriend."  
Ash laughed.  
"It's true!" I cried.  
"I know." He said. Then he picked up his shirt off of my bed. I grabbed it out of his hand.  
"Don't put it on." I told him quietly.  
"Why..?" He looked puzzled.  
"Because less is more, honey." I whispered as I kissed his neck.  
"Whoa… Umm…"  
"What?" I asked instantly.  
"...Are you seducing me?" He questioned, a hint of a smile on his lips.  
"Depends."  
"On…?"  
"If you like it." I winked at him. Then, I gave him a kiss on the lips. He kissed me back and bit my lip. I pushed him on to my bed and sat on his lap.  
"I'm thinking that I like this."  
"Good!" I chirped. I stood up.  
"Where are you going?"  
I turned to face him. Then, I slowly pulled my shirt off. "Nowhere."  
"Oh." He said as I sat back down by him. He pulled me into his arms.  
"I love you." I told him quietly.  
"I know." He whispered. He made no move to unhook my bra like last time.  
"You seem to have tamed yourself since an hour ago." I mentioned.  
"What do you mean?"  
"You didn't try to take my bra off this time!" I giggled.  
"Like this?" He said as he unhooked it. My hands flew up to keep it from falling off. I quickly fastened it again.  
"Bad." I scolded him. He winked.  
"Bad? I think it's good." He said. I blushed.  
"Of course you would." I rolled my eyes.  
He laughed and took my hands. He pressed them against his chest. Then, with his free hand, he reached for my bra again.  
"Ash…" I warned him. He didn't listen. He unhooked it. I used my foot and hit him in the nuts. He released my hands and a fixed my bra. Again.  
"Ow! Jeez! What was that for?"  
"You know. I already told you. I'm not going there yet." I said, completely serious. He stopped smiling.  
"…Starr… I'm sorry."  
"I know you are. But are you sorry you didn't listen or just sorry you didn't get to see my tits?"  
"Oh come on! You sound like my mom!" He bit his lip.  
"Ass." I hissed.  
I stood up, grabbed my shirt and walked out. I put my shirt on as I walked down the hall. I went into the kitchen, took all of the knives and hid them in the laundry room. Certainly didn't need Ash trying to kill himself again. Then I opened the front door and walked out. I jogged down the street to Jake's house and knocked on the door. When he opened the door I walked in.  
"Hey… Starr…" He looked confused.  
"Where's CC?" I asked him. He pointed down the hall to his room. I nodded and opened the door.  
"Hey Jake—Oh. Starr."  
"Get your ass up. We're going home."  
"Why?"  
"CC. It's after 7. Mom still hasn't come home."  
"I know… I figured you and Ash.. Wanted some… Privacy." He clenched his teeth.  
"No. Actually, right now, I wish he would leave. Let's go." I pointed a finger to the door. CC sighed and got up. He followed me down the hall.  
"Aww. Are you leaving, man?" Jake asked.  
"Unfortunately."  
"You can just stay if you want…"  
"He's coming home." I said firmly as I opened the door. We walked home in silence. When I opened the door to our house, it was silent.  
"I guess Ash left…" CC said.  
"Good." I replied. I walked upstairs and into my room. I slammed the door. I noticed my closet door was open a tiny bit so I walked over to shut it. When I touched the door, Ash jumped out. I screamed.  
"I'm sorry!" He shouted. He had put his shirt back on and fixed his hair.  
"Good God, Ash! Are you TRYING to give me a heart attack?" I yelled at him. My door flung open.  
"What the hell is – Oh. Hi Ash…" CC said slowly. He shut the door and went back downstairs.  
"Out!" I yelled and pointed to the door.  
"Please don't make me go home!" Ash cried.  
"Ash. I do NOT want you in my house. Get. Out." I growled.  
"Starr! Please!" He pleaded.  
"Go." I demanded. He put one hand on my chin and pulled my face up to his and kissed me. I melted a tiny bit.  
"Please." He whispered after he kissed me. I rolled my eyes. He ran a hand through my hair. I swatted at his arm.  
"Stop." I told him.  
"Stop what?"  
"Being so fucking adorable! How am I supposed to stay mad at you when all you're making me wanna do is kiss you?" I glared. He smiled.  
"I'm not trying to be adorable…"  
"Well, you are! So stop it!" I yelled in his face. He flinched. Then I pointed to the door again.  
"Now. Get out. Or I will get CC to come back here and throw you out. I might talk to you in the morning." I said as calmly as possible. He sighed and went out. I followed him to the door and made sure he was actually gone this time. I shut the door.  
"So… I see you and Ash had a fight…?" CC questioned.  
"Yep. And I am pretty pissed at him."  
"Umm…" CC didn't know what to say. I went back upstairs and into my room.


	5. Chapter 4

_Ashley's P.O.V._

I couldn't believe I had screwed up so badly. Well, my life is pretty much done now. Starr hates me, my mom had gone completely insane since my dad died, and all the other guys probably hate me for hurting Starr. How was I ever going to make this right? I walked down the street with my hands in my pockets. When I got to my house, the door was unlocked. I walked in. My mom was asleep on the couch. I silently passed by her and went into my room. I sat down and looked at my arms. I decided to go take a shower and clean up the cuts. I had been so stupid. When I got out of the shower I looked in the mirror. I looked terrible. I had dark circles under my eyes. I needed to rest. I climbed into bed and pulled the covers over my head. I drifted into a deep sleep.

When I woke up, the sun was out. I glanced over at the clock on my bedside table. 1:08pm. Holy shit… I slept a long time, I thought. I sat up and pulled the covers off. The cuts on my arms seemed to be starting to heal. I had no idea how I was going to hide this from my mom… When I stood up, all o the memories of yesterday came flooding back. I groaned. I heard the TV coming from the living room so I quickly got dressed and went into the kitchen.  
"…Did you just wake up?" My mom looked surprised.  
"Yeah… I was tired." I mumbled and opened a cabinet. She smiled at me.  
"I have to go grocery shopping. We don't seem to have much food." She chuckled. I tried to keep the shocked expression off of my face. She walked down the hall and returned a moment later with her shoes on and her wallet. "I'll be back in an hour or so. Was there anything in particular you wanted me to get?"  
"Umm… Some tortilla chips? And some salsa, perhaps?" I smiled. I loved Mexican food.  
"Alright." She hugged me and then got in the car and left. Her behavior was almost… Normal. I wondered where this calmness came from. I gave up on my hunt for food and returned to my room. I picked up my old acoustic guitar and a couple of picks and started tuning it. I strummed some random notes for a while and then the words started coming to me.

**I ACTUALLY WROTE THIS! NO STEALING!**

"All those things I said,  
I never really meant them.  
Won't you come back?  
We've had out fights,  
but I never meant to lose you.  
Please come back!  
I told you I hated you,  
but it's not true.  
Won't you please?  
Don't you see,  
I'm on my knees,  
begging for you,  
to come back!  
Screaming for you,  
to come back!  
Don't you see?  
I need you.  
I wish I'd never hurt you.  
I know it's too late.  
Won't you come back?  
I can't change what I said,  
but I want to make things right.  
Please come back!  
I know I left you hanging,  
but I can still catch you!  
Won't you please?  
Don't you see?  
I'm on my knees,  
begging for you,  
to come back!  
Screaming for you,  
to come back!  
Don't you see?  
I need you.  
All those things I said,  
I never really meant them!  
Won't you come back?  
So here it is  
this is my apology.  
Please come back!  
I'm telling you the truth!  
I'm sorry."  
"I'm sorry too." My head snapped towards the door. Starr was standing there, tears streaming down her face. I sat there, not knowing what to do.  
"…How did you get in here?" I asked quietly.  
"The front door was unlocked."  
"Oh."  
"Yeah…" She hesitated. I patted the bed next to where I was sitting.  
"Sit down." I smiled a tiny bit. She looked unsure, but sat down.  
"Ash…" She started but I cut her off.  
"Starr, I love you. I'm truly sorry for all the shit I did yesterday. I was a total asshole. I don't know if my apologies mean anything to you, but I am so sorry."  
"Oh, Ash… I forgive you. And I'm sorry too."  
"Why are you sorry? You didn't do anything wrong!"  
"I know… But I still hurt you. And I will never forgive myself for doing it." She looked down at her hands, which were in her lap.  
"Starr… Don't blame yourself. It's my fault. I got carried away."  
"I know." She smiled a little bit.  
"Are we ever gonna be the same?" I asked, my tone becoming serious again.  
"That's what I wanted to talk about. The guys, except for Andy, seem to think that you're a bad influence. I know. They're wrong. But I don't want to mess things up between you guys, as friends, and as bandmates. I'm not going to be the one to ruin that."  
"Starr… Do you honestly care that much about what others think?"  
"No, but they're my brothers. Your brothers. I have to listen to them."  
"So… What exactly are you saying?"  
"…I.. I hate to say it…" She started tearing up. My heart sank.  
"…What?" I tried to stay calm.  
"I think… We should break up. At least for now." Her voice broke. I opened my mouth to say something, but nothing came out. "I'm sorry, Ash. I love you. But I don't want to hurt anyone else." She whispered.  
"…No."  
"I'm so, so sorry." She looked at me, her dark eyes glistening with tears.  
"No. No. No!" I cried.  
"Yes." She whispered.  
"I'm never leaving you!" I shouted. "I don't care what anyone thinks! I love you and nothing can change that! Not even what my best friends think! If they're truly my friends, they would be behind me, not bashing me because of who I love!"  
"Ash, they aren't bashing you. They're just concerned after what happened yesterday." She tried to calm me down.  
"That's not what it seems like!"  
"Well, it's the truth."  
"I need to talk to them." I hissed through clenched teeth.  
"Ash…."  
"No. I am going to. Sorry. But I can't let this go." I stood up. Starr looked worried. I leaned over and kissed her forehead before walking down the hall and out of the house. I sprinted to CC's house and knocked on the door. CC opened it.  
"…Hey…" He looked confused.  
"We need to talk." I snarled. He shut the door and walked on to the porch.  
"…Ummm… About what?"  
"You, Jinxx and Jake. Trying to get me and Starr to break up. It's not okay. At all."  
"Dude… You've got it all wrong…"  
"Oh really? Care to explain?" I snapped.  
"Ash. Chill. We aren't trying to break you guys up."  
"Oh. Yeah. You're just pressuring Starr to do it by telling her that I'm a "bad influence"."  
"Okay, for the record, that was Jake. Not me."  
"It doesn't matter who said it, you were still involved!" I yelled.  
"I know. I'm sorry."  
"Sorry? Like that does anything about the fact that she just broke up with me!"  
"…Wait… She actually did it?" CC looked shocked.  
"Yeah! And it's YOUR fault!"  
"Man… Ash, I am so-"  
"Oh, save your breath. I'm done with this shit." I walked off in the direction of Jake's house. When I got there, he was sitting in the front yard with his guitar and a pad of paper.  
"Hey, Ash!" He smiled at me.  
"Shut up. Just shut the hell up." I snapped at him.  
"Woah, what's the problem?"  
"You. You're the fucking problem!"  
"What the hell did I do?"  
"Talking bad about me behind my back to Starr! I hope you're happy! She broke up with me!" I shouted. Jake flinched.  
"…I wasn't talking bad about you…"  
"No. Just saying I'm a "bad influence" and all that bullshit!"  
"I never meant that… I was just pissed…"  
"Well, obviously she thought you meant it!"  
"Ashley. I am sorry. Okay? I never wanted to break you guys up. I… I don't know."  
"You know, Jake, for a "best friend" and a "brother", you sure are an asshole." I spat. He was silent. I shook my head and headed on to Jinxx's. Something told me he wasn't really involved, but I needed to talk to him. I walked up the steps to his door, calmed myself as best I could and knocked on his door. Sammi opened the door.  
"Hey, Ash." She smiled. I didn't smile, but I remained calm.  
"I need to talk to Jinxx. Alone."  
"Alright. I'll send him out." She seemed to sense that I didn't want to share the details. She walked back inside and called for Jinxx to come. I waited outside the door. When he came outside and saw my face, he opened his mouth to speak.  
"Ash, I know why you're here. Please just let me explain. I have nothing against you dating Starr. I think you guys are an amazing couple. I just think you're trying to take things too fast. She's never dated anyone before. Well, nothing serious anyway. She's not ready for this. But I know that she loves you and she would do almost anything for you. Jake's just worried that you're putting too much pressure on her. And personally, I think he's right. To a degree. You went too far when you… Well, you know. I think you need to slow down. A lot."  
"…I honestly don't know what to say," I said after I let Jinxx's words sink in.  
"It's okay."  
"Jinxx… She… She broke up with me." I said quietly, trying not to let him see the tears forming in my eyes.  
"…She did?" Jinxx sounded shocked.  
"Yeah. She didn't want to make you guys be upset with me."  
"Dammit. I feel terrible. I am so sorry, Ash."  
"Me too."  
"I… I'm gonna talk to her. We never meant for you guys to break up. We just wanted you to slow down."  
"I know." I nodded. I sighed, and turned to leave.  
"I swear. I will make this right." Jinxx promised. I smiled weakly and walked towards the street.


	6. Chapter 5

_Starr's P.O.V.  
_

I sat down on my bed and began to cry. I couldn't believe I had really broken up with Ash. After all I had put into our love, we couldn't even be together. So typical. As soon as you find the one you want to spend your life with, something happens and you can't be together. Like the story of _Romeo and Juliet_. And to think that someone said life isn't a fairytale. Well, that's bullshit. I hastily wiped my tears away and picked up my notebook full of songs. I flipped through it, page by page. When I came to a blank page, I picked up my pen and began to write.

**NO COPYING! THIS IS ORIGINAL!**

"You've lost your stuff  
But I've lost my hope  
Somewhere on this path  
I thought we had a shot  
But you're sending me mixed messages  
And I don't know what you're trying to say  
Do you love me?  
Or am I just another toy you'll toss out when you're over me?  
Just answer these questions  
And I'll tell you  
If I'll stay or be on my way  
Don't lie to me  
I'll never stay then  
Tell me the truth  
Or cast me away  
Don't spare my feelings  
I need to know  
I don't wanna waste our time  
If you don't want me  
Just tell me  
I can move on  
Please be honest  
I don't need any more of your lies  
Why don't you understand?  
I don't wanna hurt  
I don't wanna cry  
I don't wanna fight  
So tell me how you feel  
I'll try to understand  
I've lost my hope  
I've given up on you  
Tell me you love me  
And mean it  
And I'll give you another shot  
Don't tell me I'm to blame  
It's all your fault  
And I think you know it  
Oh I think you know  
Don't tell me you don't care  
Even if you don't  
That's not what I wanna hear!"

My tears dripped on to the page as I wrote the last line. I carefully wiped them off with my sleeve. I stared at the page for a moment before slamming the cover shut and tossing the book on the floor. I picked up my phone from the table beside my bed and turned it on. I had no messages. I sighed loudly and put my phone away. I heard a knock on my door.  
"Go the fuck away." I grunted. CC opened the door and walked inside.  
"Starr."  
"I said go away!" I yelled. He flinched.  
"Starr, listen to me. You have to."  
"What the hell do you want from me? You already broke up my boyfriend and I! What else do you want to ruin?" I shouted. He shut his eyes. "Oh. Go ahead. Shut your eyes. That doesn't make things better!"  
"Starr, stop. Calm down. I never meant to break you and Ash up. This is all just messed up. We just wanted you guys to take it slow. We didn't want you guys to rush into anything and make a mistake. We just wanted to help. Honestly."  
"Well, guess who failed!"  
"I know. I will fix this. I promise. I will fix everything." He knelt down beside my bed and looked me in the eyes.  
"I wish." I squeezed my eyes shut, feeling the tears escape.  
"I will." He said as he left. I watched the door close and leaned against the wall. The world felt like it was imploding on me. Everything was falling to pieces before my eyes and there was nothing I could do but watch.

The next day, I called Ash. I needed to talk to him, but I didn't have the heart to see him in person. I just knew I wouldn't be able to keep myself from kissing him, and that was the last thing I needed to do. I held the phone up to my ear and took a deep breath. I heard the phone ring three times. Then he picked up.  
"Hello?"  
"Ash. It's Starr. Listen… We need to talk."  
"I agree."  
"Can I start?"  
"Sure." He sounded unsure.  
"Here's the thing. I really love you. But I don't want this drama. I don't want there to be any fighting with the guys. I just think we should take a break until we figure out what we want." The other side of the line was silent.  
"…Okay." He said after a moment.  
"We're still friends though, right?"  
"Of course. Starr, I just want you to know that even if we aren't together, I will always love you. Always." He whispered the last word. I tried to fight back the tears. Nobody spoke for a moment. I broke the silence.  
"I love you, Ashley. This isn't goodbye, it's just… So long."  
"So long, then." I heard him crying. Then, the line went dead.

Several hours later, my bedroom door opened. CC poked his head in. When he saw me lying on my bed, in tears, he walked in.  
"Are… You okay?" He looked upset.  
"Not really, but I'll get over it." I cried into my pillow.  
"I'm so sorry." He whispered several times as he rubbed my shoulder.  
"Thanks CC. I know you messed up, but I still love you. I'm just glad you care."  
"Did you talk to Ash?"  
"Yeah. We're going to… T-take a break." I burst into tears again. CC hugged me tight.  
"I'm so sorry."  
"It'll be okay."  
"I hope so."


	7. Chapter 6

_Ashley's P.O.V._

It had been one week since everything had gone wrong. One week since I had kissed Starr. One week since I had held her hand. We had promised each other that we would still be friends, but it just wasn't the same. I could hardly look at her. It was like that all day at school. When I got home, my mom was waiting.  
"Hi, sweetie! How was school?"  
"Good, I guess." I forced a smile.  
"Great! Because I have some exciting news!"  
"Really?"  
"We're getting new neighbors! I met them today! They're a nice family. They have one kid, a boy, about your age."  
"I'm not a kid, mom. I'm almost 18."  
"I know how old you are! But you'll always be my baby!" She smiled. I couldn't help but smile. I hugged her.  
"When will they be here?"  
"They just left to get the last of their stuff. They'll be moving in later tonight. I'll take you over to meet them when they get back."  
"Okay, mom." I smiled.

A few hours later, my mom knocked on my bedroom door.  
"Ash! The neighbors are back! Come meet them!"  
"Alright mom. I'll be there in a minute." I called back. I put my shoes back on and followed her outside. The neighbors were waiting on their porch. My mom immediately started talking to them. She introduced me to the mom, Shelby, the husband, Bruce, and their son, Ben. They invited my mom inside to find something to drink. Ben and I stayed outside.  
"Well, welcome to the crap town of Cincitnati." I smirked. He laughed.  
"Thanks. Hey, what school do you go to?"  
"Central High School. There's only two. Central and Eastside. Not sure why it's called Central when there's only two, but whatever. You?"  
"Central."  
"I'm a junior. You?"  
"Same!" He grinned and high-fived me.  
"I'll show you around tomorrow if you want. You can hang with me and my friends. I don't have a lot, but I bet you'll fit right in."  
"Awesome. I'm kinda excited now."  
"Eh. After a day at our school, it stops being fun." I laughed.  
"I see. Well, isn't that how it is at all schools?"  
"Yeah. So, meet me out here between 7:15 and 7:20 in the morning. That's when we walk to school."  
"Who's "we"?"  
"Me, you, and my friends Jake, CC and Starr." My frowned slightly at the last name, but recovered before Ben noticed.  
"Rad."  
"Yep. And we usually hang out after school at Jake's house."  
"Awesome!" Ben smiled. My mom walked outside.  
"Ash, we need to get home. They have unpacking to do." She smiled.  
"See you tomorrow, man." I said. Ben nodded and smiled again. We went back into my house and I went into my room. I picked up my phone. No messages. I shrugged and went to take a shower.

_Starr's P.O.V._

*alarm goes off*  
"Ugh. Morning." I sighed. I pulled myself out of bed and went over to my closet. I pulled out my Falling in Reverse shirt and my old, black, ripped skinny jeans. I slipped them on and pulled up my black hair into a bun. I put on my favorite silver eyeliner and then brushed my teeth and grabbed my shoes. CC came out of his room and started combing his hair. Then we grabbed our backpacks and left. As we walked down the street, I saw Ashley and Jake, standing with a third figure. When we got closer, Jake grabbed me into a hug. Ash looked away.  
"Hey guys! This is Ben! He just moved in next door to Ash! He's rad!" Jake said excitedly. Ben smiled at me and CC. He was about Ash's height, had ginger-colored hair and a nice smile. I couldn't help but notice that he was extremely attractive.  
"Hi! I'm Starr." I smiled at him.  
"And I'm CC, her brother." CC grinned.  
"Nice to meet you." Ben nodded. We started walking again. I talked to Ben the whole way there. I found that we had a lot in common. He was really sweet. I scolded myself for it, but I definitely had a little crush. When we got to school, the introductions started again. Ben hit it off quite well with Andy, and Jinxx and Sammi were pleased to meet him as well. I compared my schedule to Ben's and found that we had all but one class together. Ash, Ben and I walked to first period together. It seemed to pass faster than normal. Of course I was too busy thinking about Ash and Ben to pay much attention to the lesson, but it still passed abnormally fast. During last period, I asked Ben if he was going over to Jake's house after school. He said he was, and I had to hide my excitement. Finally, the bell rang. We all met up outside and headed back to Jake's.

Once we got to Jake's house, the guys all picked up their instruments. I settled on to the couch like normal and Ben sat down next to me. We talked while the guys practiced. After a while, CC stopped drumming.  
"Hey Starr. We should probably be getting home." He smiled.  
"Aww. Okay. Bye Ben. Bye guys!" I smiled and followed CC upstairs. When we got to the street, he turned to me.  
"Dude. What did you say?"  
"What?" I asked, confused.  
"Ben is totally into you! Did you not notice? He's been watching you all day! And he keeps bugging me about you." CC rolled his eyes. I blushed.  
"He likes me?"  
"Yeah! And Ash is not happy about it!"  
I frowned. "Why?"  
"Are you stupid? Ash is still completely in love with you! It took everything in him to not punch Ben right then and there when he was flirting with you!"  
"Crap."  
"Yes." CC sighed. We walked the rest of the way home in silence.

The next week passed just as quickly. When we met up after school one day, Jake looked a little sad.  
"What's wrong, Jakey?" I asked, worried.  
"I can't practice today. I have a dentist appointment." He made a face. They guys all groaned. CC sighed.  
"Oh well. I have a lot of homework anyways." He said. Jinxx nodded.  
"We could hang out at my house…" Ash suggested.  
"I dunno. I think I'll just go home." CC replied.  
"Same here." Jinxx and Andy said in unison. Ash shrugged.  
"I'll come." I said. Ben nodded.  
"Awesome." Ash smiled. Jinxx, Andy and CC said their goodbyes and headed home. Ash, Ben and I walked back to Ash's quietly. When we went inside, I flopped on the couch immediately, just like the good old times. Ash wandered into the kitchen. Ben sat down in an empty chair. I smiled at him. Ashley returned looking a little mad.  
"I swear. We have no food in this house. I'm gonna run up to the store and get some chips. Anybody want anything else?" he asked us. I shook my head no and Ben was silent. After Ash left, Ben broke the silence.  
"He likes you, doesn't he?" Ben asked. I blushed.  
"Yeah. We used to be together. But there was a lot of drama. So we broke up." I said quietly.  
"Oh. I'm sorry." He frowned, sensing my sadness.  
"It's okay." I tried to smile. After a moment, he came and sat next to me.  
"Hi." He smiled. I laughed.  
"Hi there." I smiled back. I looked out the window. When I looked back at him, he was watching me. Our gazes locked. My heart began to beat rapidly. I could feel the tension in the air. Suddenly, he leaned in and kissed me. I didn't try to fight it. I kissed him back. I felt his mouth open a little and I bit his lip. Our breathing sped up in unison. I ran my hands through his hair and he put his hands on my hips. I pushed him back against the arm if the couch and kissed him some more. He started to kiss my neck and I pulled his shirt off. I ran my hands down his chest, feeling his smooth skin. He returned his mouth to my lips. I felt his tongue graze the inside of my lip and my eyes closed again. I could feel his heartbeat under my palm. He kissed my forehead and I rested my head on his bare chest. Then, I remembered Ash.  
"Shit!" I tossed him his shirt and he slipped it on. I fixed my hair and he moved back into his chair. I turned the TV on just as Ash's car pulled into the driveway. Ben and I exchanged a glance and tried to act like nothing had happened. When Ash walking inside, I continued to stare blankly at the TV.  
"I'm back! I got chips and salsa!" he exclaimed. I forced a smile. Ben jumped up to help Ash with the bags.

When Ash returned with a plate of chips and a bowl of salsa, Ben had to sit next to me. I could feel the tension between us, and I knew he could too. Luckily, Ash didn't notice. After about an hour, I told Ash I needed to get home. Ben said he would walk me home. I was shocked when Ash wasn't suspicious at all. Ben and I stepped outside and walked silently until we got to the street.  
"That was…"  
"Yeah." He finished my thought. We walked the rest of the way to my house in silence. When we were just a couple of houses away, Ben slowed down, I copied him, and then I took his hand. He squeezed my hand back. That's when I lost control. A tear streamed down my face as I leaned in and kissed his lips softly. He kissed me back gently. The tears kept coming. He used his free thumb to wipe away a tear and then kissed the spot where it had been. Then he returned his mouth to mine and I kissed him passionately. After a moment, I pulled away and stared into his eyes. Then I tugged on his hand and led him into my house. Nobody was home, so I took him upstairs into my room. He brushed back my bangs, now damp from the tears. When his fingers brushed my face, it felt like a spark of electricity. I pushed him up against the wall and kissed his neck. His breathing sped up and he put a hand on the small of my back and pulled me up against him. I locked my fingers in his hair and kissed his lips. He gently bit my lip and my mouth opened a little. Then he tilted my head back and kissed up and down my neck. I let out an audible sigh and pulled him on to my bed. When my head hit the pillow, I tugged his shirt off and licked his lips. He let out a quiet moan and ran his hands through my hair. He was about to take my shirt off when my bedroom door opened. I screamed. It was Ash.

When he saw us, he stopped dead in his tracks. Nobody moved for a moment. I was afraid to look at Ash's face, but I couldn't help myself. When I looked up, his face was as white as a ghost. He looked stunned, as if he had just been shot in the heart. My throat closed up and I felt dizzy. I couldn't hear anything but the sound of my heart beating. I didn't know what to say.  
"Starr," Ash whispered brokenly. I could feel my lip tremble. I couldn't even look at Ben, even though I was still lying on his chest.  
"Ash…" Ben said quietly. A single tear landed on Ash's cheek. I felt my eyes begin to water. Without noticing, Ben squeezed my hand. I slowly stood up and approached Ash. He quickly backed away.  
"Ash…" I started but he cut me off.  
"Don't. I know what you were doing. There's no need for explanations." He snapped, another tear falling.  
"Ash, please!" I began to sob. He looked away from me and took a deep breath.  
"Starr, save your breath. I don't want anything to do with this." He whispered, and left the room before I could say another word. I stood there for a moment, watching the empty doorway, before I crumpled to the floor in tears. Ben jumped up and ran across the room to where I was laying. He knelt down beside me and cradled my head in his hands.  
"I'm so sorry, Starr." He whispered. I was too stunned to speak. The tears streamed down my face but I couldn't move my hand to wipe them away.  
"Please, Starr! Don't cry!" He begged me.  
"Ben…" I cried, finally finding the strength to speak. He pulled me into his arms and held me while I cried.  
"Starr, it's gonna be okay. I promise." He said quietly. I pressed my face into the smooth skin on his shoulder and breathed in his scent. He stroked my head gently and I started to calm down.  
"Ben?"  
"Yeah?" He looked down at me.  
"I'm sorry I got you involved in this."  
"Starr, I don't care. It's all worth it."  
"What do you mean?" I asked, confused.  
"Well, I… I love you. Already." He blushed, a hint of a smile playing on his lips. It was all too much for me though. I burst into tears again.  
"What's wrong?" Ben looked worried.  
"Don't tell me you love me."  
"Why?"  
"Because I don't deserve you!"  
"You're right. You deserve better."  
"No! I didn't deserve Ash and I don't deserve you either!" I shouted, tears pouring down my face. I opened my mouth to speak again, but Ben kissed me before I could say anything. I felt so guilty, but I couldn't push him away. When he pulled back, I looked straight into his hazel eyes. He met my gaze and the tiniest bit of a smile formed on my lips.  
"Why are you so sweet?" I asked him.  
"Why are YOU?" He challenged. I blushed and he kissed me again.  
"There's still one problem…" I frowned.  
"Ash." He finished my thought.  
"Yeah. I never wanted to hurt his feelings." I mumbled.  
"I know. But you aren't his girlfriend anymore. You can kiss other guys." Ben defended me.  
"It's just that he never wanted to break up with me. He still loves me. And in some ways, I still love him," I admitted. Ben didn't say anything. I bit my lip, wondering if I had been wrong to bring up my feelings for Ash. After a moment, Ben brushed my hair behind my ear. Then, I felt his phone buzz from inside his pocket. He pulled it out and checked it.  
"Ugh. I'm sorry. I have to go home. My mom wants me back." He sighed. I frowned. I didn't want him to leave, but I also didn't want him to get in trouble. He stood up and helped me up. I walked over to my bed and picked up his shirt. He pretended to reach for it but instead grabbed my waist and picked me up. I squealed and he laughed. He carried me over to my bed and dumped me on to it. Then he pulled his shirt on. I sat there and fake-pouted. He leaned over to kiss me once but I locked my fingers into his hair and pulled him on top of me. He began to kiss my neck and my tongue grazed his ear. He shuddered lightly and moved his lips to mine. I could've kissed him forever but eventually he pulled away. Without speaking, I followed him to the front door of my house. He pulled me into a hug.  
"Don't worry. I'll be back soon," he whispered in my ear. I smiled and gave him one last kiss before he left. I watched him walk away in silence. There were still butterflies in my stomach from when he had kissed me but there was also a hint of guilt. I didn't know why, but it was there. I was sorry I had ever admitted my feelings to Ash. I was sorry I had ever skipped class with him that day. I was sorry I had ever let him kiss me. I was sorry for everything. I never wanted to hurt him. I knew that he would say that it didn't matter, but I knew how agonizing it was for him. I should've kept my mouth shut. But it was too late to change any of it. I couldn't go back and not give in when Ben kissed me, or stop myself from pushing him against the wall. All I could do was hope that somehow, Ash could forgive me.

When CC came home, I was in my room, lying on my bed. He walked in and started talking.  
"What's up with Ash?" He asked.  
"I dunno." I lied. He gave me a look and I sighed.  
"Come on, Starr. Something tells me you had something to do with it." He eyed me suspiciously.  
"CC… Do we have to talk about it?"  
"Yes."  
"Ugh. Fine. Ben said he would walk me home from Ash's. So he did. And when we got here, I kind of… Kissed him," I flushed red.  
"And…?" CC looked confused.  
"I invited him inside. And we started making out. And Ash came in."  
"Starr…" CC glared at me disapprovingly.  
"How the hell was I supposed to know Ash would come barging in? And why does he need to get so upset about it? It's not like I'm still his girlfriend!"  
"Are you serious? Are you completely blind to the fact that he's still head over heels for you?" He snapped. The tears welled up in my eyes.  
"I'm sorry any of this ever happened! I wish I had never said I would be his girlfriend!" I screamed, blinded by my tears as I ran out of the room. When I got downstairs, I grabbed my backpack, my jacket, my phone and the stash of emergency money from the kitchen and ran outside.

I didn't know where I was going, but I didn't care. I had to get away. I couldn't handle any more of it. I was sick of myself. I was sick of fighting with my brother. I was sick of how I couldn't be around Ben without wanting to kiss him. And most of all, I was sick of trying. Trying to avoid Ash, trying to make everyone else happy, and trying to keep my head up when I got pushed under. I was done. I walked down the darkened street quickly, not wanting CC or anyone I knew to find me. I heard my phone ringing, and I knew it was my brother, possibly even my mom, wanting to know where I was. I didn't even pull it out of my backpack. I kept walking for hours, not stopping at all. When I got to the edge of town, I sat down on the curb and pulled the envelope of money out, making sure I wasn't seen by anyone. I quickly counted the cash. There was $750. I stuffed it into my backpack again, keeping a ten dollar bill in my pocket. I found the nearest gas station and bought a bottle of water and a bag of peanuts. The cashier looked a little puzzled at seeing me at 2 in the morning, but didn't ask any questions. I opened the water bottle and took a drink. Then I took a brief moment to decide where I was going. I decided I would go to my aunt's house in Louisville, Kentucky. I figured I had enough money to get the 100 miles. I hoped. I went back inside the gas station. The cashier looked up from her phone.  
"Can I help you?" She asked. I nodded.  
"Where's the nearest bus station?" I asked. She gave me directions and I headed out.

When I got to the bus station, I walked inside and headed straight towards the long distance schedule. I looked up the buses to Louisville. The next bus was leaving at 4:30am and would arrive around 10am. I walked up to the desk and bought my ticket. I got a suspicious look from the man at the counter, but he, like the cashier, didn't question me. I sat down on a bench to wait. I must've fallen asleep because the next thing I knew, the man was shaking my shoulder.  
"Hey miss, your bus is here." He said quietly. I quickly put my backpack on and thanked him before walking outside to board the bus. When I got on, there was one other person on it. He looked to be around my age. I handed the driver my ticket and sat in the back, a few seats behind the boy.


	8. Chapter 7

When the cab pulled up, we got in and I told the driver the address. He was an older man with gray hair that looked as if it were thinning underneath his blue ball cap. I tried not to grimace as I noticed how the car reeked of cigarette smoke. Instead of studying the driver, I pulled my backpack into my lap and fished around for the money stash. Alex seemed to be deep in thought as he stared out the window. His blue eyes looked troubled. Every now and then he would brush his black hair out of his face. I looked out of my window, watching the buildings pass by.  
As the car pulled onto my aunt's street, I felt a shiver of fear. What if she wouldn't take me in? What if she let me in but left Alex out on the street? I had to hold on to my hope that she would understand my problem. When the driver turned the cab into the driveway, I handed him a wad of cash and Alex followed me to the doorstep. I rang the bell.  
"Starr?" she looked surprised, not even noticing Alex.  
"Aunt Mary… I'm so sorry to just show up like this… And I don't even know how else to tell you, but I've run away from home and I need a place to stay. If you don't want me here, I'll leave, but you're the only person I thought might understand and—"  
"Oh, Starr… Why did you run away? Nevermind that…"  
"This is Alex." I motioned to him.  
"Is he… Your boyfriend?"  
"No, no, no! I met him… Along the way."  
"I see. Well, let's get you two inside."  
"Thank you so much." I smiled.  
"Yes, thank you!" Alex said. My aunt simply nodded and shut the door behind us. She walked into the kitchen. I sat down on the couch and Alex followed suit.  
"I thought you said you weren't going to follow me?" I mutter, although I was relieved he had.  
"Plans change." He smirked. I rolled my eyes. Aunt Mary came back in and sat down in a chair across from us.  
"…I honestly don't know what to say. I would call your mother, Starr, but obviously that's not going to do a whole hell of a lot. And you, Alex, was it? Well, I don't even know who you are." She looked outright flustered.  
"I'm really sorry, Aunt. I just didn't know where else to go." My eyes started to tear up against my will.  
"Oh, Starr. Don't worry. We'll figure something out."  
"I… Uh… Mrs.…? I'm sorry. I don't mean to intrude. I don't want to cause any burden or trouble to you." Alex said. I could tell he felt really awkward.  
"It's no trouble at all." She smiled at him. He nodded.  
"So…" I didn't know what to say.  
"Are you guys hungry? You must've done an awful lot of traveling." We followed her into the kitchen. She motioned for us to sit at the table and she went to the fridge. "I hope you don't mind left over spaghetti… I need to go to the grocery store tomorrow."  
"That would be great!" Alex smiled.  
"Alright. Starr, show him to the guest bedroom while I heat this up. Feel free to take a shower or whatever you need." She said, back turned to us. I led Alex down the dim hallway and opened a door on my right.  
"You can stay in here. There's a bathroom across the hall." I turned to leave, but Alex called my name.  
"Starr."  
"Yeah?"  
"Thanks for bringing me here. You don't know how much this means to me." He grinned, genuine thankfulness in his eyes.  
"No problem."


End file.
